Kiyo wins dramatic red flagged race two

21 June 2006

HM Plant Honda's Ryuichi Kiyonari has taken his second win of the day at high speed Snetterton for round seven of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship.

Leon Haslam on the Airwaves Ducati was the Bride's maid yet again coming home very disappointed in second place having been leading until the red flags came out. The final step of the podium belonged to young Tommy Hill on the Virgin Mobile Yamaha.

When the lights went out it was Kiyonari who got away first but Haslam wasn't letting him get away and swooped into the lead only to have Kiyo out drag him down the Revett straight. The Honda may have had the legs on the Ducati but Haslam on the brakes into the Esses soon sorted that out. While Haslam was taking the lead his team-mate Gregorio Lavilla was running wide at Russells which relegated him from third to sixth place.

Johnny Rea and Tommy Hill were having another epic battle for the third place that Lavilla kindly vacated. Rea took third at the Esses, then went wide allowing Hill back through at the Bomb hole.

The lap record tumbled when Kiyo did a 1min 04.868secs on lap three, a few laps later he tried to pass Haslam again on the straight but once again he closed the door at the Esses.

Lavilla was clawing his way back up the order and took third place off the two young guns of Rea and Hill. It was at this point that race was red flagged due to James Haydon and Dean Thomas crashing at the exit of the Esses.

The restart was run over eight laps and this time Kiyonari got away and held onto it fending off Lavilla in second place with Haslam in third. On the run into the Esses Lavilla lost the front and crashed out unhurt. His Ducati was partially on the track and had to be removed so the safety car was deployed. While the safety car was on track Rea had a nasty high side which left riders scattering around him as he landed on the circuit, thankfully everyone managed to avoid hitting him.

The safety car came in at the end of lap three leaving the riders with a five lap race, and on lap eight of the restart Kiyo broke the lap record again with a 1min 04.688secs. Haslam was unable to break Kiyonari's lead and crossed the line in second place shaking his head.

Karl Harris didn't start the second race as he was knocked momentarily unconscious during his race one fall. Simon Andrews on the Jentin Yamaha was also a non starter as his bike was too badly damaged from his first race crash.